Buckner-Ragsdale, 1907 -- A store for everyone

"Cape Girardeau's Most Satisfactory Clothing Store Worthy of the Name." Thus was the first advertisement in The Daily Republican on Nov. 21-22, 1907, for the new Buckner-Ragsdale Store, a landmark on North Main and Broadway.

The story begins when William "Buck" Ragsdale came to Cape Girardeau to acquire a buggy at Kage Livery Stable. He planned take a Sunday afternoon drive to Charleston to see his special lady. While here, he learned the E.W. Flentge store was for sale. Soon later, he wedded the young lady, Miss Nell Deal, and bought the store. Also in partnership was his uncle, Charles Buckner.

The two sold all the old Flentge merchandise, which included groceries, and purchased the first men's and women's quality ready-to-wear clothing for "The Store on Quality Corner."

The grand opening was slated for Sept. 3, 1907, with music by the Armgardt's Orchestra. Buckner's nephew, Robert E.L. Lamkin, came to help with the event Tuesday evening, 7 to 10.

Weary from the evening, the three men retired to the St. Charles Hotel, where they offered the management job to Lamkin. He became a major stockholder and stayed active in the business for 71 years. He died in 1978 at the age of 90.

The Great Depression brought many woes to Cape. Lamkin was one of the town's businessmen who felt the importance of helping the community by providing extensive credit, especially to those at the new shoe factory down the street. The store agreed to purchase enough shoes from the factory to stock their number of stores, including Charleston and Sikeston, to help keep the factory operating. They also helped furnish supplies to Southeast Hospital to help the payroll.

Customer service was as important as its philosophy: free alterations, free delivery, no interest on credit and free gift wrapping. A customer knew she could ask for a number of items delivered to her home, try them on, and return what she didn't want.

In March 1916, a major fire ignited at the store when a center entrance was being installed. The intense flames leaped to the Riverview and Terminal Hotels and four saloons, and devoured the clothing store. The Buckner-Ragsdale owners quickly bought the lot from Louis Houck and hired Gerhardt Construction to build it back with reinforced concrete. Before completion, arriving new merchandise was sold in the Johnson building across the street.

On Nov. 18, 1916, the store reopened. The main floor stocked shoes and clothing with an entrance to the bargain basement off Water Street. Unique to the store were pneumatic tubes that carried a customer's money upstairs by cable.

Lamkin Sr.'s sons, Bob Jr. and Jack, joined him in the business. Jack graduated from Missouri University and with his bride, Kathrine, returned to town just before the tornado of 1949.

The family-operated store closed after 75 years in 1982 with 30 employees.

Jack and "Po" Kathrine continued to enjoy the riverfront by taking an upstairs residential apartment next door on the block.